1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to sorting and orienting and refers more specifically to a sorting and orienting structure for and a method of sorting and orienting work pieces to be fed to equipment with a specific orientation. The structure comprises a hopper for receiving randomly oriented work pieces, a vertically extending endless elevator for removing work pieces from the hopper and feeding them in series onto a horizontally oriented table for sorting and orienting, drive shaft means for rotatably supporting the sorting and orienting table, means for directly driving the drive shaft means, and means operably associated with the table for sorting and orienting work pieces thereon during rotation of the table. In practicing the method of the invention with the structure of the invention the work pieces are removed from the hopper by the elevator and deposited on the horizontally oriented sorting and orienting table, the sorting and orienting table is rotated, and work pieces having an undesirable orientation are sent back into the hopper while work pieces having a desirable orientation are passed serially from the sorting and orienting structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past sorting and orienting structures have usually taken the form of vibratory feeders such as bowl feeders or the like. With such prior devices work pieces placed in the vibrating feeders are moved along tracks therein by vibration of the feeders. During such movement they are oriented and/or sorted. Such feeders are relatively complicated and expensive. Further, such vibratory feeders are generally noisy and subject to limitations such as difficulty in feeding parts which are oily.
Wherein sorting and orienting devices and methods have been mechanical in the past they have also been more complicated than necessary and have therefore been more expensive and usually less efficient than desirable. Also some of the mechanical feeding devices of the past have not always been as gentle with the parts to be oriented and sorted as desirable and some of them have required bulk storage at an undesirable height to permit gravity feeding of work pieces thereto. The prior mechanical sorting and orienting structures have also been generally objectionally noisy and have not been as compact as desirable while permitting monitoring of the feed system by a floor level operator.
In addition mechanical sorting and orienting structures of the past have usually been constructed so as to facilitate sorting and orienting specific parts. With such equipment and with the method of operation of such equipment it has been difficult or impossible to utilize the equipment for sorting and orienting different work pieces, particularly for short runs of different work pieces.